Teacher Zick
by Cezille07
Summary: AU. Advanced graduate Zick has taken over his ill professor's post as chemistry teacher. His student Elena adores him in a lab coat, and is willing to do anything to be close to him, which includes being a lowly assistant for random experiments.
1. Project Stage

**Teacher Zick**

_Cezille07_

Preview: Advanced graduate Zick has taken over his ill professor's post as chemistry teacher. His student Elena adores him in a lab coat, and is willing to do anything to be close to him, which includes being a lowly assistant for random experiments.

Note: They're in college here, and by chance they all landed in the same chemistry elective! Anyway, I know little if not nothing about the topic, so please don't mind whatever errors I might mention about the subject.

Disclaimer: For the nth time I shall repeat this little phrase you may have already gotten all too used to, alright? I own no rights to Monster Allergy whatsoever. There you go, start reading and promise me a review after!

* * *

Chapter 1: Project Stage.

He came into the room with a worried announcement, "Classmates, Professor Smith will be absent for the next couple of weeks for his surgery. They couldn't find a good kidney donor for now, so they're still keeping him in the hospital to monitor him."

The class would really look better if they gave any reaction at all.

"In the meantime, I'll be taking over his post, in this class at least," he continued.

"What?!" Now _that_ was a reaction. It could also sound better if it was concern, but it wasn't—it was disbelief.

Sure, he was just a college student. What did set him apart and possibly qualified him for the job was the fact he's already graduated and is pursuing an additional degree in chemistry. He finished studying quickly thanks to all those accelerations he made through the earlier years of school. Then he finished summa cum laude of the entire batch.

I wish I was among his batch.

"He gave me the lesson outline for today and it looks like we'll just carry on with the project he gave last time," Zick was saying. Oh, wait, it's Professor Zick now. He went on, "I hope I don't have to clarify anything for now. I assume you've read the given text he sent to our e-group. We've divided the class into groups last time, so please meet with your groupmates and start working. Any questions, ask me."

I sighed. Why did I have to be in a group with Annie? The only good thing it's done is get me some free time; Annie was only too enthusiastic to even let me touch the draft of our report. So what I did last meeting, and what I'll surely do this time, is watch Professor Zick discuss with his groupmate David.

"Elena!"

"Huh?" Oh, it was just Annie. "So can I please _read_ our report?"

"No, it's still not perfect yet—"

"That's why we're working in pairs. Can I at least _see_ what you've done so I have some idea what happened to our compound?"

"I have some minor adjustments to check, but it's nearly done. Look, I need you to ask David if he's got some extra gloves I can borrow so I can take home a set and do a little work with the compound," she explained.

I didn't even think David would bring extra gloves with him all the time. "Why don't you do it?" I asked, though I wasn't sure I needed to. I knew she's been dying to talk to David since...forever. "And if you're such a nerd why don't you have your own gloves?"

She crossed her arms and raised her nose in the air. "Excuse me, I won't take being spoken to like that. And I _do_ have my own gloves, but I've used them too much since the semester began."

I didn't answer. Fine, I was wrong to call her a nerd and maybe I was wrong as well to assume all geeks had gloves and their own chemistry sets at home. But I won't talk to that jerk David for her no matter what.

"Please, Elena," she half-pleaded. "I just need this one favor of you."

I shrugged. "Alright, alright." I already started walking towards David's group, but remembered to tell her this, "Then you're promising to share whatever you've done with our paper so far!"

She nodded energetically, but it was to hide her blushing. But that was fair enough.

So I approached Zick—Professor Zick, I mean—and David, and said as blankly as I could, "Hey David, Annie wants to borrow some gloves."

"Sure," he said and pulled out a pair of latex gloves from his backpack and handed them to me.

I kept my eyes off them as much as I could, but of course I really couldn't. "Thanks," I mumbled, and turned away.

Phew. What an encounter.

"Wait, Elena," called David.

I looked back. Darn! Zick was looking at me. "What?" I asked as if it were just by-the-way.

"Tell her...tell her I'll see her after class."

"Yeah, yeah." Darn, I felt my face turn red. Zick was smiling there! "Yeah," I said again and almost ran away, back to our place.


	2. Lab Day

**Teacher Zick**

_Cezille07_

* * *

Chapter 2: Lab Day.

Then it was already the next day. I didn't realize how time flew because I was thinking of Zick the whole time and about how he watched me when I spoke to David. I swore to myself I am never taking favors for Annie.

It turns out I'll be doing favors for Zick himself....

"Elena," he said after announcing the day's events for the class. Being too shy to even look at him, I ignored the call and went on reading through whatever Annie finished and sent through email last night. "Elena," he said again. Oh fine, fine, I'll look.

He was standing right next to me!

"Oh, sorry I didn't hear you," I excused. Nah, I bet he saw right through me. He's too smart not to notice.

"Never mind. I kind of need your help right now," he said in that formal tone businessmen always used. Which made me smile inside, of course.

"Why?" answered blushing me, not out of interest but because it was the only thing that came to mind.

"Well, I need someone to help me study for our group's results."

"Why not David?"

"David? He was out all night, I couldn't reach him! We're in experimental stage as of now, so we're supposed to do some tests in the lab. I can't do it alone."

Of course I'll help! I'd love to! Pick me, I'll be a good guinea pig, I promise! Instead, I asked, "But why me?"

"If you haven't realized, David's still not here, and I doubt he'll show up today," he finished.

I looked around. David _wasn't_ here. So did the fate of his report really rest on me?

He must have seen my hesitation. "It's alright, I'll find someone, or I can postpone the testing some other day."

Yes, he had that power now. But come to think of it, even Annie was absent. And I have a pretty weird feeling I know where she is—that is, wherever David is.

And since I know nothing about chemistry whatsoever, I don't expect anything productive with our report for today...and helping Zick would be really interesting....

"Alright." I smiled. And so did he.

"Thanks, you've saved me!" he said. He looked _adorable_ when he said that.

He gathered his things and led the way to the lab, where only a couple or so students were mixing chemicals.

"So what can I help you with?" I began.

He finished buttoning his lab coat and faced me seriously. He looked hesitant for the first time in a long while. "To tell you the truth, I've been doing much of the work and David's pretty much just an assistant. You really don't mind, do you?"

Me? Mind being close to you? Holding the things you touch? Being a human flask-holder while you examine its strange contents? Oh to have a reason to be able to stare at you as you work, and talk casually to you as if we were friends! I will never mind! Never! And who knows, some of your genius might even rub off on me. "That's okay with me," I said.

He sighed in relief.

For the next hour, I remained motionless, holding on to a flask with a colorless liquid inside. What Zick was doing was far beyond me. I had no idea what evaporating a sample of it would prove, or what it meant when he mixed it with 'enzymes' and other such substances. I realized I had a long way to go before I could say we were level.

Once or twice, he mumbled to himself some formulas and several laws. He was so focused on what he was doing. I felt he didn't even know I was there, or that I existed. It was just him and his beloved liquid.

I wished I could dissolve into that liquid. If only it would make him watch me as intently.

Suddenly I lost control of my hand and the flask crashed to the floor.

"Oh no!" he cried.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I repeated as I ran for a towel to wipe up the spill.

Halfway into bending to the floor—

"Don't touch it!" he commanded sharply. He snatched the towel and pushed me away. "It's highly corrosive!" he said, halfway between annoyed and worried.

We were both panting, shifting our looks from the liquid to each other.

"I am _really_ sorry," I said, prepared to dissolve into the floor.

Zick didn't answer. He found tongs and a thick glove with which he picked up the towel and mopped up the liquid. "See what happened to the towel?"

I looked. It was being eaten away by the liquid.

"You could've been seriously injured," he said.

At that moment, he looked at me, and I felt like I wanted to explode into nothingness. He was really concerned!

Or maybe he's just...responsible. He wanted no one hurt under his watch. Darn it.


	3. Presentation

**Teacher Zick**

_Cezille07_

* * *

Chapter 3: Presentation.

"Where have you _been_?!?"

Annie just grinned at me.

"Annie, we have a presentation today! If you haven't realized, I have no idea what to do and you were gone the whole day yesterday! It was like you vanished from the face of the earth, and I have a vague idea where you were!" I yelled.

She exhaled slowly, that grin still not vanishing. "I did everything already. You read my email the other night, didn't you?"

"Did you expect me to understand a thing there? You could have explained it some more!" What made me angrier was this dreamy look on her face. I returned—nearly threw—the printed output in her face and went on, "I don't know what these formulas mean! I thought I could count on you to enlighten me on the subject!"

"If you don't want my help, I suggest you find another partner. I know you've been dying to talk to 'Professor' Zick since...forever," she said with no hint of anger in her voice, after which she walked away, _humming_.

I was dumbfounded. How on earth did she know about _that_? She had the big crush on David! She was head-over-heels for him! And she...she accused me of an illicit admiration!

"Elena!"

I nearly leapt off my skin. I whipped around. "Oh, hi Zick."

He didn't reply. He looked as though he hadn't slept at all.

"Report gone wrong?" I asked.

"Not wrong. It was...hellish. David backed out at last minute and said he found a better partner."

How suspicious. Those two are on a rendezvous at the worst possible time. "Well, Annie said I should find another partner."

If he didn't look relieved, then I wouldn't know how to describe it. "You just found one," he offered.

I just don't see what he's so worried about. He is our 'professor' and we'll never know if he is wrong, knowing how well our class sucked at chemistry. Aside from him, only Annie understood the subject.

While he arranged the order of presentation, I returned to my usual seat and waited for our turn. 'Our' turn. I had nothing to worry about. With Zick, I'll surely get high enough in this presentation. I'll be the flask-holder again, and nothing can possibly go wrong there, right?

Well, almost.

We went first. I assumed my place by his side and recognized the instruments we'd use to demo the properties of...what was that chemical again?

"Alright, Elena," he whispered as I arrived at the platform. He was excited; I could feel it from under the formality he wore. "I'll do the talking, and you do what I tell you to, 'kay?"

I nodded uncertainly and took the flask.

"No dropping, this time?" he impressed.

I almost laughed. "Yeah."

"Good!" He faced the class. "So we'll start now. Our compound here is called sulfuric acid, and Elena and I will show you some of its common properties."

The class stared on. They would really look better if they gave any reaction at all.

Zick ignored this and began droning on about the acid thing. Once or twice, he told me to pour in a small sample of it into a small test tube, add some random chemical, and raise it for everyone to see. It was with fascination that he explained every aspect of the reactions, and it was with boredom that our classmates tried to keep their eyes open for what seemed to be the conclusion—then Zick would divert into a whole new area to discuss.

Geniuses. They were talkative, they debate on little things the normal person didn't even know existed, and they, I found out just now, in addition to all those good qualities you learn to love about them, are...clumsy.

Zick was writing on the board, and as he turned back to face the class he knocked the test tube off my hand. It broke, once more, and in the process spilled some good amount on my hand.

Though Zick panicked right away, it didn't bother me at first.

"I'm fine," I said, excusing myself as I headed for my bag to get some tissue. I even chuckled a little.

Only then did the pain actually sink in.

I felt dizzy and unsteady on my feet, which gave to the painful pressure eating at my hand. I blacked out soon after, but I realized...I wasn't completely unconscious. I felt two strong arms lift me, rush me to the infirmary. Several times, I opened my eyes, as futile attempts to stay awake.

The first time, I just managed to see his face, focused on our destination. I saw a mixture of random emotions rushing through his eyes. Then I was out.

The second time, I was lying on a hard but nevertheless comfortable bed. I heard his voice. He was yelling, arguing with who seemed to be an incompetent nurse—

"What kind of clinic is this? You're telling me you don't have any basic substance?! My friend has just been burned by a strong acid and needs something to counter its strength!"

"But sir—"

"Don't you 'but' me! Find me something, anything!" he commanded. "Toothpaste! I'm sure you have at least that!"

Moments later, he was wrapping my hand with a bandage wet with water and toothpaste, I knew because of that familiar minty feel on my skin after brushing my teeth.

And I was asleep again for a long time.

The third time I awoke after the incident, I was alone in a small room. This wasn't the infirmary, I concluded. I wondered where Zick was, whether he was here or not, and if he was the one who drove me here or an ambulance.

I sighed. At that moment, it didn't matter to me that I ruined our experiment, or that my reputation in class has been tainted by my friendship with Zick. It didn't matter. There was this sinking feeling in my chest, and I knew what that meant by now.

It meant...I surrender.

The way he saved me, his concern—more and more I realize that he's too great to be mine, too great to belong to only one person. He is a man of science, and will forever be known as such. Maybe I'll remain a human flask-holder in his eyes forever too. Or at least a friend, someone he can always depend on. But to me, he'll be the smartest, bravest, most thoughtful person I will have ever met.

If that would change, I'll never know. But who does anyway? It's even unlikely he'll do anything not in the realm of science. Can you imagine Zick actually playing basketball? Or painting? Or even...catching bugs, or taming monsters, for that matter?

I sat up and found a note on the bedside table. It read:

"Hi Elena. I called your parents to tell them what happened. I hope you're okay for now. I'll just see Professor Smith upstairs and tell him I quit the teaching job. Zick."

So, that's goodbye to Professor Zick...and hello to another chance?

****END****


End file.
